EVERGREENS OF COLORADO 



17 



mountain slopes these two species are 

 often found in mixed growths. At 

 9,000 to 9,500 feet, however, the lodge 

 pole pine is usually found in nearly 

 pure stands and in such cases forms 

 the densest forests to be found in our 

 mountains. The young growth of lodge 

 pole pine is often so dense that it is 

 almost impossible for a person to crowd 

 his way through. 



This tree is less able to stand 

 drought conditions than the Rock Pine 

 and is consequently found in its most 

 vigorous growth on northern and east- 

 ern slopes where the moisture condi- 

 tions are more favorable. It is charac- 

 terized by tall, slender, straight trunks 

 with the crown of foliage carried main- 

 ly at the top. In our region, the lodge 

 pole pine seldom grows to a height of 

 more than 70 or 80 feet with a trunk 

 diameter of from 12 to 20 inches. 



The needles are commonly 2 to 

 2 1 /2 inches in length and are borne in 

 bundles of two. They are a lighter 

 green than those of tne rock pine, so 

 that forests of this tree present yellow- 

 ish green masses of foliage. The bark 

 on young specimens is thin and covered 

 with small, greyish scales. As the tree 

 becomes older, these scales disappear, 

 leaving the bark of a light orange or 

 reddish brown color. Tlie bark even 

 on large trees is seldom over a quarter 

 inch in thickness, although on veteran 

 trees of great age, it may become some- 

 what ridged and from a third to half 

 an inch in thickness at the base. It is 

 always much thinner than that in the 

 rock pine. The wood is light, soft, 

 light yellow or nearly white in color, 

 and lacking in durability. The cones 

 are usually a little shorter than the 



7 *38- ] h 1 a c t h r t e ru Y n e k! OW Pine ' needles and are borne in clusters of 2 

 or 3 surrounding the 'branch. Many of the cones remain closed and at- 

 tached to the limbs for many years, so that they occasionally become 

 entirely overgrown by the enlarging of the stem. Sometimes these cones 

 are exposed when the trunk is split or sawn, 75 or 100 years after they 

 were produced. These closed cones are usually somewhat curved and 



